Monday, June 15, 2009

UPDATE: ZA002 (N787EX) is out on at the Boeing fuel dock. Matt Cawby posted a photograph this morning showing the aircraft finally outside and ready to conduct fueling tests. First flight of ZA002 should take place by July 21st. Matt Cawby's Photo.

Well Boeing gave some more information into when the Dreamliner will finally leave the ground through it was hardly earth shattering news. First the first flight was not going to be event driven (ie not fly during the air show) but rather fly when it's ready to fly. This has been Boeing's mantra since August 2007.

Secondly, Scott Carson did say that it'll fly on June 30th which is the end of the 2nd quarter. Again not earth shattering news from Boeing. Jon Ostrower did post that it is possible that the schedule can be bought forward from June 30th, he cited program sources.

Now according to Jon's post (also from program sources), the way things are laid out over the next two weeks are as follow:

Now until through this weekend: preps for final gauntlet testingEarly next week: final gauntlet testing (about 2 days in length)Middle of next week to the end of the week (June 25 or 26th): Inspections of 787 prior to start of taxi testsLate next week through the weekend of June 27th-28th): taxi tests (787 moves under it's own power)June 3oth: In the air

Now this is a zero margin schedule and as Jon said, it could move to the left depending on how further testing goes.

Jon also reported that Boeing and the partners in the supply chain agreed that all travelled work would be eliminated by airplane 14 which should be in final assembly by the end of this year. Alenia North America chief Giuseppe Giordo also said in Paris that it still takes Global Aeronautica about 300 days to finish the main fuselage section of the 787 but they are working on reducing that number. This probably accounts for all the sections flowing into the GA assembly sight in Charleston.Guy Norris also put out an update on the 787 this morning. The first flight fuel verification testing that was supposed to take place today was actually completed on Sunday thus allowing for Boeing to proceed to the testing of the flight control system today (June 15th) with a focus on the tail and full deflection testing of the horizontal stabilizers (tail feathers). Guy also said that a few tests were completed on ZA002 in advance of it being rolled out of the hanger and to the fuel dock. According to my information, that was to have happened last night but I have not received verification of that yet.